Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-21
THE RIFLE MATCHES.
How the Contests Among the Marks.
men Will BE Arranged.

The rifle shooting contests will doubtless prove
one OF the most interesting events OF drill week.
They will be held under the direction OF Col s. E.
Blunt, OF Gen. Sheridan's staff, assisted by Lieut.
s. E. Allen, 9Th artillery, formerly inspector Of
rifle practice in the division of the Atlantic Col
Blunt, who belongs to the Ordnance Department,
Is regarded as the rifle expert of the Army. He is
fine shot himself, and understands the workings
of the rifle to perfection. Blunt's rifle and carbine
firing manual Is the one adopted by the Army, and
next weeks contests will be regulated by it, and
Will be similar In every respect TO those held in the
regular Army. They Will take place at the Ar
Senal grounds. There are over hundred entries
from all parts Of the country, not more than two
known as to the relative merits of the contestants
SO that the matches are likely to be exciting, and
perhaps series OF surprises
THE DISTANCES
will be two hundred three hundred, five hundre d
and six hundred yards. There will be five targets
and two men will shoot at the same target, so that
ten men will be competing at the same time. Each
man will be numbered, and he will be known sim
ply by his number, and not by name. They will
be assigned to targets by pairs and at the COM
pletiOn OF the ten rounds each they will change
targets and change competitors, SO that different
men will continually be opposing each other. The
pairs Will be stationed on each side or firing peg
which fixes the distance, and Will fire alternately
few feet behind them will stand the official
scorer one for each target, and back OF him will
be stationed the contestants who are TO fire next
In turn. Every competitor will have
SCORE CARD
for each distance On which will be his name. COM
pany, regiment, number by which he is known,
order OF firing number OF the target fired at, and
places for scoring each shot, like the innings
columns on a base ball score card, with room for
total at the end. The card has a coupon contain
ing the number by which the competitor Is known,
not his name, the distance and places for marking
each individual score, and the total, the same as
on the card proper. This coupon is to be detached
by the scorer and returned to The competitor The
main part Of the card is retained by the scorer,
and Is signed by him. In this way the competitor
sees exactly how his score stands as the firing pro-
crosses. The card for 200 yards is yellow Tor 800
yards red, 500 blue. and 600 white. When a
shot is fired the scorer calls out the result,
and marks accordingly. II there is any objection
or protest to be made, then is the time TO make it,
for the score is recorded U cannot be changed
under any circumstances. The scorers viii be
Sergeants OF the Sd artillery, belonging to WASH
tngtOn barracks. They are We'll versed In the du-
ties and will naturally be perfectly impartial. In
800 yards they can sit or. knee but not stand and
at 500 and 900 yards they can lie down in any po-
SitiOn they like.
THE TARGETS
will be those used regularly at the washington
Barracks. The size is six feet by four, and the
divisions are not circles but ellipses The axes
OF the bulls eye are ten inches and eight inches,
OF the center "a inches and 3d. the inner 50 inches
and 49, and the outer comprises the rest OF the tar
get. bulls-eye is marked ), a center T. inner g.
and Outer2. Each target Will have two markers.
privates OF the Sd artillery who will be under
shelter, and they will signal to the scorer the re-
suit of each fire. If bull's-eye is made marker
signals with white disk holding the centerof the
disk as near over the point struck as possible
In the same way II q center is made, the marker
signals with q red disk, If an inner with black
and white disk, and II an outer with black disk.
II ricochet Is made the danger
flag is waved once twice across the front OF the
target and just over the markers shelter. II a
miss is made the danger flag is waved several
times across the front of the TARGET The markers
are SO stationed that they can readily see the re-
suit OF each shot. The disk at once gives the in
formation 10 those at the firing point. The target
is drawn into the shelter by means of car on q
track and piece OF paper is pasted over the hole
made by the last shot, and is again ready to be
fired at